Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-09-02
A BURGLAR IN A COFFIN.
THRILLING HIGHT IN A LITTLE
VERMONT DEPOT.
wELL.LAID PLOT TO RIFLE A SAFE
MYSTERIOUS WARNING RE
CEIvED BY THE STATION AGENT
"A HINT BY WIRE.

CEIvED BY THE STATION AGENT
"A HINT BY WIRE.
lSouth Woodbury. (Vt.) correspondence
Chicago News.]
North Calais Is a small town on
a branch of the Wells River rail-
road. but it has a big sensation. A
desperate attempt was made last
Wednesday night to rob the ex-
press messengers safe in the rail-
road station Office, and was frus-
trated in a manner SO mysterious
that il seemed to border on the
weird. The hero of the day, the
station agent, stated to-day to the
Herald correspondent that he was
vet still uncertain which frightened
him most, the robber or the strange
warning. Herman s. Benjamin, a
sturdy Green mountain boy, who
lives in Woodbury., three miles
away. is the station agent, and he
has on his hands as a memento oil
the affair a large stained coffin left
behind by the robber, which he VIII
give with handsome bonus to any
one who will give him some clue to
either the burglar or the individual
who sent him the startling warn
ing.
There had been thunderstorm
early in the evening, and the night
was dark and disagreeable when
he came on duty at 8 o'clock. He
was not at all flattered at the pros
pect before him, for it was what is
known as "quarry eve," the date
being one of the regular periods
that the monthly money for the
stone quarries near by is sent up
| by the banks IN Montpelier, and its
safety was his responsibility. Up
on the night in question Benjamin
had taken the keys of the safe from
the day agent and assumed his du-
ties for the night, and proceeded to
make himself comfortable. The
station is nearly a mile from the
village, and after the $50 O'Clock
accommodation passes there IS no
traffic except the IL o'clock night
express, which does not stop, and
possibly through freight or two.
When the day agent handed him
the keys this night he remarked
! that the quarry Doodle had come.
I Said he: "Its in the safe there
s3S, 900 in bills. The silver will be
up on the way train"
BENJAMIN said good night and
thought no more about the money
until the accommodation train ar
rived at half.past s, when an iron
bound box, about a foot square,
was delivered him by the express
messenger. The box was filled
with silver dollars and was quite
heavy. Herman placed it in the
safe. as was his custom, for he
had done this same thing for sew
eral wears. After the train left he
set his signals and lights for the
EXPRESS, which was due at II o'clock,
and then entered the ticket office
and sat down to read. The tele'
graph ticker, close at hand, occa-
sionally licked off through mes
sage of no particular Importance
and he paid little attention to the
instrument, until suddenly his OF
fee was called three times rapidly
lie sprang to the key and answer
ed. for his duties as an operator
we're part of his requirements. NJ
reply to the answer came, and ate
waiting some time he shut off th'
kew and went back to his reading
Again he was called, with the sam'
result. and this was repeated twic
> unn, angry and disgusted, he hat
decided that some one was playing
. him a trick, and he sat glarlng a
: the offending sounder, his book II
hand, when a message began t
rattle out, its very meagreness be
ing startling. 1t said;
' "Watch the box" "Watch th
boxw "Watch the box"
, After a short interval the mes
!. sage was repeated again thre
! times, and although Benjamin Gu
: in and tried to ask who was th
, , sender, all he could get was:
4 ssNatch the box "Watch tn
/ box"
Z At last he surmised that it mean
J. the box of silver. He opened tn
safe and looked IN. 1t was sal
there, and while he was wonderln
what it was all about the whistl
of the express was heard. He wen
/. out, as usual, and was surprised t
see that it was slowing up to stor
No passengers alighted, but sever
= al of the employees lifted from tn
baggage.car a coffin, the outer COY